Tub-stall



July 31, 1956 H. SOBERMAN TUB-STALL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1953 I'll INVENTOR 7' A. 5055mm TUB-STALL 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 20, 1953 J u u F N V E NTO R ERBFRT L. Joan/mp1 BY f c zw/fiu ATTORNEY a July 31, 1956 H. 1.. SOBERMAN 2,756,438

TUB-STALL.

Filed March 20, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HERBERT L. Seam/MN 6. 7012?, W dargw ATTORNEY J y 3 1956 H. L. SOBERMAN 2,756,438

TUB-STALL Filed March 20, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HERB ERT L. SOBERMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent TUB-STALL Herbert L. Soberman, Flushing, N. Y.

Application March20, 1953, Serial No. 343,593 2 'Claims. 01. 4-149) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shower curtains and more particularly to new and useful improvements in a shower curtain adapted to use with existing bathtub types to provide for the interchangeability of the use thereof as bathtubs and as watertight stall showers. The invention may be called a tub-stall. V

The invention comprises, in combination with a bathtube and the walls and ceiling of a bath compartment, a spring return curtain roller, a waterproof flexible shower curtain attached to the curtain roller, a housing member for mounting the curtain roller and for containing the shower curtain in its roller condition, the housing member being supported in this position in various ways depending upon the architecture of the bath compartment. For example, it may be supported between the end walls of the bath compartment, from the ceiling of the bath compartment or it may rest upon vertical members hereinafter mentioned, a pair of vertical tracks or guide members disposed between the top surface of the front Wall of the bathtub and the housing member, the vertical track or guide members being. adapted to guide and contain the vertical edges of the shower curtain in watertight fashion, a locking means located at the free edge of the shower curtain adapted to hold the curtain securely in the vertical track or guide members in the fully drawn or any partially drawn position, and a pendulously mounted suction sealing and water collection means attached to the free edge of the shower curtain adapted to grip the top surface of the front wall of the bathtub in watertight fashion when the shower curtain is fully drawn and to form a trough for collecting the rivulets of water from the inner surface of the shower curtain as the same is being raised after use.

While these are the principal elements of the present invention, the embodiments herein depicted and described include other features which enhance the device. The horizontal housing and thevertical members are shown as part of attractive outline valances which add beauty to the installation by hiding the working parts of the apparatus. The housing member is shown equipped with a squeegee member at its narrow open bottom through which the shower curtain .passes as'it is raised and lowered. Anauxiliary draw curtain is also shown between the outline valance and the shower curtain on suitably located hooks on the back surface of the front of the outline valance.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a device for converting anordinary bath tub type shower into a watertight stallshower.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for. use with bath tubs in bath compartments. to form a watertight stall shower without need for a special bathtub type.

A further object resides .inproviding .astall showerapparatus for use with bathtubs wherein the opening .and

closing front wall of the stalLs'hower in the closed position joins the top surface of the front Wall of the bathtub in watertight relationship.

2,756,438 Patented July 31, 1956 A still further object of the invention is toprovide a stall shower apparatus for use with bathtubs that re quire no tracks, guides or chambers or the location'ofany of the parts thereof on the top surface of or in the front wall of the bathtub which are unsightly and which may also be dangerous to the users of the bathtub.

Another object is to eliminate the use of glass doors and possible danger caused by breaking them.

Another object resides in providing a stall shower apparatus utilizing flexible plastic like front curtain which may be raised or lowered and which is equipped with a water collecting trough at its bottom edge to prevent the dripping of water from the curtain onto the floor of the bath compartment as the curtain is raised after use.

A still further object resides in providing a stall shower a apparatus that is completely watertight at the edges of the raisable front curtain thereof.

With the foregoing and still further objects in view, this invention includes the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof'described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are views of installations of embodiments of the apparatus in bath compartments.

Figure 4 is a sectional, side elevational view of the apparatus.

Figures 4A and 4B are sectional side elevational views of modifications of the pendulously mountedsuction sealing and water collecting trough at the bottom edge of the curtain.

Figure 5 is a sectional front elevational view taken in about plane 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View, illustrating the vertical member containing the edge of the curtain and a method of connecting the vertical outline valance to the vertical track.

Figure 7 is a sectional plan View taken in about plane 7-7 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is sectional plan View taken in about plane 8-8 of FigureS.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure :6 of a modification.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional front View illustrating a slight modification in installation.

Figure 11 is asectional plan view taken in about plane 1111 of Figure 10.

It will be understood that the present invention is useful for converting many bath tub types in various sized and shaped bath compartments into Waterproof stall show.- ers andis not necessarily limited to any particular bathtube design or location in the bath compartment. It is intended that the walls and ceiling of the bath compartment will be utilized whenever possible for support for support for the apparatus and to simplify the installation and to reduce cost. it being understood, however, .that the basic elements of the invention are standard in size and construction and variations in installations will be accomplished by varying the size and construction of the enclosing outline frame or valance of the apparatus. Since the most common bath compartment layout provides a bathtub with walls of the bath compartment adjacent three sides of the bathtub, the description anddiscussion herein will .be mostly with such a layout in mind, although other layouts may be equallyconverted With this invention as above explained.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 it will be seen that the invention as installed in the bath compartment is an attractive improvement thereof. 7

In Figure 1 it is seen that the outline valance 10 fits adjacent the ceiling .11, and Walls 12 and 13 of thebath compartment and the bottom edges of the vertical portions rest on the top surface 14 of the front wall of the .bathtub 15. The auxiliary curtain 16 is shown open.

plasticlikeshower curtain 21 is shown in the drawn positionwith its bottom edge resting on the top surface 14 of the front wall of thebathtub 15, which is recessed in the wall.

In Figures 4 and 5 are seen the principal elements of the apparatus. The flexible plasticlike shower curtain 21'is connected at its top edge. to spring loaded return roller 22 which has an end lug 23 located in slot 24 of mount 25 attachedto the inside surface of the end wall 26 of'housing 26. The construction and elements are similar at the opposite edge of the curtain. Housing 26 is shown attached to the ceiling 11 of the bath cornpartment by screws 27 and provided with a slot at its bottom formed by a beaded edge 28 on one side and a flexible squeegee 29 on the other. The curtain 21 passes through this slot in frictional relationship as it is raised and lowered, so that water, is squeezed off the curtain. The valance with vertical section 32 is shown attached to the end wall 13 of the bath compartment by screws 40, Figure 5. Similar construction and corresponding elements appear at the opposite edge of the curtain 21.

Withinnthe curtain 21 near its bottom edge is a traverse rod 41 located in a sleeve 42. Attached to rod 41 is a handle 43. .Not shown in this view is a spring 52 which is compressed or extended as rod 41 slides in sleeve 42 as handle 43 is moved. These elements are parts of a locking device which is better illustrated in later figures. The bottom edge of curtain 21 is shown connected to suction sealing member 44 by waterproof fabric section ber. 44,

Figures 5 and 6 show the curtain 21 extending through the guide slot 38 and being held there by its beaded edge 21'. The vertical member 39 containing guide slot 38 is also shown expanding in funnellike fashion near its top.

The rod 41 is shown with a lug 47 at its end designed to press against vertical member 39 and the lug has a portion of reduced thickness 48 which fits snugly in the guidev slot 38. The rear wall of the channel 50' (not 4 channel 50. of vertical member 39; In. this modification the spring (not shown) works in the reverse direction of spring 50, Figure 8, to cause the lug 41 to bear against the inside surface of channel 50 of vertical member 39. Figure 10 illustrates how the housing 26, may be adapted to rest on the vertical member 39 and need not be independently mounted tothe ceiling 10 or end walls 12 shown in this figure) formed in the vertical member 39 .is equipped with drain holes 49 at its bottom.

Figure 6 illustrates that vertical member 39 is so constructed to form an enclosed channel 50 wherein is located the beaded edge 21' of curtain 21. Also shown is a method of connecting the vertical member 39 to the vertical section 32 of valance 10 by screw 51.

. Figure 7 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line 77 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 illustrates the locking device previously mentioned. The spring 50 is shown dividing the rod 41 into two sections and forcingthe lug 47 to bear against the vertical member 39 keeping the reduced section 48 in the guide slot.

Figure 9 illustrates how the vertical member 39 and the vertical section 32 of valance 10 maybe made in and 13 of the bath compartment.

Figure 11 illustrates the funnellike top of channel 50 of vertical member 39 and itsuse in making certain that the beaded edge 21' of curtain 21 cannot be pulled through the guide slot 38 as the curtain 21 is raised. This view also shows another modification connecting vertical support 39' to front valance 10.

The installation and operation of this invention are as follows:

The installation is made by adapting the outline valance i to fit snugly and watertight against the walls and ceiling of the bath compartment surrounding the bathtub 15. The outline valance may be of a width'necessary only to hide the working parts of the apparatus thus providing a large opening over the bathtub and is intended to be attractive and adds beauty to the bath compartment. When the stall shower is not in use an attractive auxiliary curtain 16 may be drawn across the opening.

The shower curtain 21 is located directly above the top surface 14 of the front wall of the bathtub and is rolled on spring return roller 22 located in housing 26. The user of the stall shower lowers the curtain 21 by the pulling it down while holding handle 43 and releasing the lugs 47 from bearing on vertical member 39. The beaded edges 21 of the curtain 21 are guided into the guide slots 38 by the funnellike construction at the top of'channel 50 located in vertical members 39, and which contain the guide slots 38. As the curtain 21 is pulled below the funnellike construction the beaded edge 21 rides against the inside surface of the wall of channel 50 containing the guide slots 38. This action draws thecurtain 21 tight.

When the curtain is fully drawn, the pendulously mounted suction sealing member 44 restson the top surface 14 of the front wall of the bathtub 15. A slight downward pressure on the handle at this time causes the concave surface of the suction member 44 to flatten and grasp the bathtub surface 14. At the same time the handle 43 is appropriately moved to cause the lugs 47 to bear against vertical member 39 to lock the curtain 21 in this drawn position. e

When the curtain is raised the handle motion releases lugs 47 and a pull upwards on handle 43 releases suction member 44. As soon as suction member 44 is free of the bathtub surface 14 it tilts downwardly at outside surface of the curtain 21 due 'to its weight distribution and pendulous mounting. This causes a trough to be formed between the inside surface of curtain 21 and the top surface of the suction member 44 to collect water from the the bottom of said housing, a roller mounted inside said" housing parallel with said slot, a plastic curtain mounted on said roller and adapted to extend through said slot, and a squeegee, rubber member connected to said housing adjacent said slot to therebysqueeze water from said curtain as it is rolled up, and. a suction member connected to the bottom of .said curtain to provide a watertight connection to a bathtub. p V

2. Shower curtain apparatus comprising a housing, the

6 side members of which taper together to form a slot in the References Cited in the file of this patent bottom of said housing, a roller mounted inside said hous- UNITED STATES PATENTS mg parallel with said slot, a plasuc curtain mounted on said roller and adapted to extend through said slot and a 528,071 Branshaw 1894 squeegee rubber member connected to said housing ad- 5 580697 1897 jacent said slot to thereby squeeze water from said curtain 1,205,398 Schnelder 1916 as it is rolled up, and a suction member connected to the 2481397 Dalton Sept 1949 bottom of said curtain to provide a watertight connection to a bathtub and braking means connected to the bottom of said curtain adapted and connected to hold said curtain 10 in extended position. 

